The chants on this CD are among the most useful and accessible in the Gregorian repertory, and all of them are most appropriate for today's liturgy.

The album features all the best-known traditional Gregorian hymns, including "Ave Maria," "Salve Regina" and "Ubi Caritas," as well as two Mass ordinaries, the Missa Simplex and the Missa de Angelis.

There's a reason the Church still sings these sacred Latin hymns after hundreds of years. There's a reason interest in Gregorian chant continues to grow. Somehow, it still expresses the awe and reverence we feel before the Creator of heaven and earth.

Exceptional singing, classic repertoire
Somehow, these simple, prayerful tones and words still capture the mystery of the soul's journey back home. Among the many chant recordings released in recent years, O Lux Beatissima stands out for the exceptional quality of the singing and the music selected.

Sung with an obvious zeal for this music
Directed expertly by Dean Applegate, Cantores in Ecclesia delivers a superb performance, with perfect timing and balance, pure intonation, smooth transitions and an obvious zeal for this repertoire. Within the first phrases of the first track, you understand why they won gold medals in all categories in the Fifth International Palestrina Competition in Rome.

Dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Gregorian chant
The choir's well-trained men's, women's and children's voices resonate beautifully in the live acoustics of the chapel at The Grotto, the National Shrine of Our Most Sorrowful Mother. Founded in 1985, Cantores in Ecclesia is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony.

All the best-known Latin hymnsO Lux Beatissima features all the best-known traditional Gregorian hymns, including "Ave Maria," "Salve Regina" and "Ubi Caritas," as well as two Mass ordinaries, the Missa Simplex and the Missa de Angelis. Cantores in Ecclesia sings the hymns entirely in Latin, most of them a cappella. Some hymns feature the men's voices, some the women's and children's, and some simple organ accompaniment.

A first-rate recording by a first-rate choir
A first-rate recording by a first-rate, professional choir, O Lux Beatissima provides an excellent musical setting for reflection, meditation, retreats and any time we feel the need for the peace and devotion of these timeless chanted prayers. Includes more than 73 minutes of music.